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s. c. MCKE OWN. IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESL APPLICATION FILED NOV-18.19%.

1 ,3 1 9,240. Patelited. Oct 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- UNITED STATES ATENT onnron.

SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER MOKEOWN, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.-

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Application filed November 18, 1916. Serial No. 132,173.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. MoKnowN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the-county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

engine, that is, said magneto may be moved to give the initial spark as well as used for furnishing the spark during the normal running of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement wherein the magneto armature or rotor may be rapidly oscillated to produce a shower of sparks at one spark plug for the starting of the engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement wherein the magneto armature or rotor may be rapidly oscillated during the slow running of the engine shaft to aid in the starting of the en- OIIIG.

h These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a mechanism for operating a magneto embodying my improvement.

FigfQ is a detail in vertical section through'the operating mechanism between the operating shaft and the armature shaft.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective showing the spring for assisting in the oscillations of the armature or rotor shaft.

Fig. 4 is a detail and side elevation showing the spring.

Fig. 5 IS a detail show ng the arrangement of parts when the operating shaft is rotating-the armature shaft.

In carrying out the invention I use any ordinary rotary magneto, and this magneto is connected to the engine shaft through my improved mechanism which consists of a gear loosely mounted on the engine shaft, a second gear meshing therewith which is mounted on a shaft independent of the engine shaft, devices for locking the second gear from rotation at will, which devices place said gear in a aredetermined position. Fixed to the engine s haft is a plate carrying a pinion meshing with the gear. attached to the loose gear on the engine shaft. Connected to this pinion is a disk whi h in turn is connected by a link to a plat... or disk fixed to the magneto shaft; These parts are so' constructed and arranged that when the engine shaft runs slowly and the cross shaft carrying the second gearreferred to above is held from rotation then the pinion. will be caused to travel bodily aboutthe gear with which it meshes and is held from rotation and this will cause rapid oscillation of the armature or rotor of the magneto. When the cross shaft carrying the second gear is released then the gear loosely mounted on the engine shaft will no longer turn the pinion and the pinion will move so that the link comes into "alinement with its connec tions thus making a positive driving connection for the armature or rotor of the magneto. When the engine is stopped the cross shaft carrying the second named gear may be operated by hand and this will caiise the pinion to rotate and produce a pair of sparks at one of the spark plugs for the purpose of starting. Referring more in detail to the drawing I have shown my invention as embodied in an operating mechanism for a magneto ture or rotor shaft of the magneto is indicated at 1. The engine shaft is indicated in the drawings at '2.

This. shaft is -jour naled in a suitable bracket carried on a j supporting base on which the magneto is mounted. Securedto the magneto shaft 1 is a plate or disk 3. Secured to the end of'.the engine shaft 2 is a plate 4. Loosely mounted. on the engine shaft is a gear 5 to which is attached a gear 6. Mountedin the bracket is a countershaft carrying a gear wheel 7 which is the same size as the gear wheel and meshes therewith. Attached to the cated at in the drawings, is a ratchet 9 which is adapted to be engaged by a ratchet faced hub of a crank indicated at 19 in the drawings.

A pinion ll'meshes with the gear 6 and this pinion is carried by a short shaft12 journaled in the plate a. At the opposite end of the shaft 12 from the pinion 11 is a small disk 13. A' link 15 is 'pivotally connected to a crank pin lion the disk 18 and the other end of this link is pivotally connected to a pin 16 on the plate 3. v A locking dog 17 slides in the bracket and is adapted to engage one ofthe notches 8 and lock the shaft 10 from turning. When this locking dog 17 is raised it may be held in raised position by a plate 18 which is pivoted so as to move in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the looking do 17 so as to engage a notch in the dog and ho d the same raised,

A spring 20 encircles an eiztension 28 of the armature shaft 1. One end ,of this spring is connected at 21 with a notch in the plate t while the other end of the spring is connected at 22 with a notch in the disk or plate 3. I

My device may be operated in the following manner 5 If the engine is at rest a shower ofsparks may be produced at the spark plug which is connected up to the magneto and this is accomplished by turning the 'crank 19 while the dog 17 is held withdrawn from engagement with the disk 8. As the shaft 10 rotates the gear 7 will rotate the gear 5 which is free on the engine shaft 2 and this will rotate the gear 6 which in turn will rotate the pinion 11. The rapid rotation of the pinion 11 will cause the armature or rotor shaft 1 to oscillate through a certain angle. The pinion 11 rotating rotates the disk 13 and the crank pin 14 on the disk operating through'link 15 produces this oscillation of the armature shaft. As soon as the engine shaft starts then the plate 4 will be turned and-inasmuch as the shaft 10 is not held against rotation the pinion 6 is free and the rotation of the plate 4 will merely cause the shaft 12 to rotate to a point where the link 15 takes aposition so that the crank pin 14 is in a line passing through the center of the shaft 12 and through pin 16. This position of the parts is so arranged that the rotor or armature is now properly timed to break the magneto circuit in proper time for firing. The armature shaft now will rotate with the engine shaft and the current generated by the magneto will be properly distributed to the various cylinders.

The mechanism above described may be also operated in the following manner: The locking dog may be dropped into one of the notches 8. This looks the shaft 10 agalnst rotation and also holds the shafts in a prede-. termined position. If the engine shaft 18 now rotated slowly the gear 5 meshing with shaft will be oscillated very rapidly. The

notches 8 in the disk ,8 are so disposed that the magnetic circuit is broken inproper timing with the breaking or interrupting of the primary circuit in the generating coil so that a spark is produced when E. M. F. and current waves are at a maximum. The spring 20, above referred to, tends to push or pull the plates 3 and a in opposite directions and this makes the oscillations of the armature steadier and gives a quicker magnetic and quicker primary break through the reaction of the spring while on the straight drlve when the engine shaft is rotating the armature or rotor the spring tends tokeep the shaft 12'and the pins 14 and 16 in alinement. 1

From the above description it will be ap-- parentthat I have provided a magneto operatmg mechanism whereby the magneto may be operated by hand to produce a shower of sparks for starting when the englne 1S atrest and as soon as the engine shaft rotates the mechanism will be con'- verted into a mechanism for rotating the armature shaft from the engine shaft and in proper timing for ignition. On the other hand the engine shaft may be turned slowly for starting and through my improved mechanism while said engine shaft is rotatlng slowly themagneto shaft will be oscillated very rapidly. As soon as the engine shaft reaches proper speed then the operating mechanism may be released so as to permit the engine shaft to drive the magneto by rotating-the armature thereof.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction. and in the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the, invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the-invention, what is claimed as new is i s 1. The combination with an engine timed magneto, of operating means therefor including an operating shaft, devices between the operating shaft and the armature shaft of the magneto whereby'said armature sha t may be oscillated a plurality of times for each rotation of the operating shaft or roe tated directly thereby.

2. The combination with an engine timed magneto, of an operating mechanism therefor including an operating shaft, a bodily traveling pinion carried thereby, devices operated by said pinion for oscillating said armature shaft when the pinion is rotated, and for directly rotating the armature shaft when said. pinion is free.

3. The combination with an engine timed magneto, of an operating mechanism therefor including an operating shaft, a pinion freely supported by and bodily traveling about the center of said shaft, a crank carried by said, pinion, a plate on the armature shaft, a link connecting the crank to said plate whereby the rotation of said pinion will oscillate the armature shaft, and means whereby said pinion may be rotated, held fromrotation, or permitted to remain idle or free on itssupport.

4. The combination with an engine timed magneto, of an operating mechanism therefor including an operating shaft, a pinion supported by the operating shaft and supported bodily about the center thereof, a

gear free on the shaft meshing with said pinion, means operated by the pinion for oscillating the armature shaft or for caus ing the armature shaft to rotate with the bodily travel of the pinion, and means for holding the gear on the operating shaft from rotation whereby the slow turning of the operating shaft will cause said armature shaft to oscillate. v

5. The combination with an engine timed magneto, of an operating mechanism therefor including an operatmg shaft, a pinion supported by and bodily traveling about the center of said operating shaft, a gear freely mounted on said shaft and meshing Wit said pinion, a crank carried by said pinion, a plate connected with the armature shaft, a link connecting said plate. to said crank carried by the pinion, and means whereby said gear on the operating shaft may be rotated, held against rotation or permitted to be free to turn on the operating shaft,

6. The combination with a magneto, of an operating mechanism therefor including an operating shaft, devices for rotating the armature shaft from said operating shaft, and devices whereby said armature shaft may be readily oscillated When said operating shaft is at rest for producing a shower of sparks.

7. The combination with a magneto, of an operating shaft therefor, a pinion supported by said operating shaft and bodily traveling about the center thereof, means connecting the pinion to the armature shaft, and means and the axis of the pinion, and devices whereby said pinion may be rotated for oscillating the armature shaft or permitted to turn free and rotate said armature shaft.

9. The combination with a magneto, of an for rotating the pinion when the operating operating mechanism therefor including an operatin shaft in alinement with the armature shaf t but free therefrom, a plate on the end of the operating shaft, a pinion journaled in said platewith its axis eccentric to the axis of the operating shaft, a plate connected to the end of the armature shaft, a crank carried by the pinion, a link connecting said crank to the plate on the armature shaft, a spring normally separating the plate on-the arn'iature shaft and the pinion, a gear 'on the operating shaft meshing with said pinion, a second gear connected to the first-named gear, a countershaft, a gear on the counter shaft meshing with the gear on the operating shaft, a crank for operating the counter-shaft, and means for locking the counter-shaft in predetermined position;

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER MGKEOWN. 

